Methods and devices for fuel dispenser electronic communication

ABSTRACT

Various exemplary methods and devices for fuel dispenser electronic communication are provided. In general, a fuel dispenser can be configured to electronically communicate with a network cloud to access cloud technology services. The communication can be direct, e.g., without the fuel dispenser communicating with the cloud network through an intermediary such as a fuel dispenser forecourt controller. The fuel dispenser can include a communication module configured to electronically communicate with the network cloud. The communication module can be on board the dispenser.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation to U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/182,201 filed on Jun. 14, 2016 entitled “Methods and Devices for FuelDispenser Electronic Communication,” which is hereby incorporated inreference by its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to methods and devices for fueldispenser electronic communication.

BACKGROUND

The retail petroleum industry utilizes various types of fuel dispensersfor dispensing fuel to customers. Some form of remote dispensercontroller is traditionally used for controlling the actual dispensingof fuel by the fuel dispensers. The dispenser controller is often on thesame premises as the fuel dispensers and coupled to a store interfaceunit so that a site attendant can monitor and control particular fuelingdispensers from a building at the site (e.g., a gas station or otherstore). The dispenser controller sends data signals to the fueldispensers providing various information and commands thereto. Theinformation traditionally includes include price, preset amounts of fuelto dispense, and authorization to dispense fuel. The fuel dispenserslikewise send data signals to the dispenser controller, traditionallyincluding pump number, pump status, dispensed fuel volume, and salevalue.

For fuel dispensers which allow local payment, some other form of Pointof Sale (POS) system is traditionally used to control the paymentfunctionality of the fuel dispenser. The POS system is often on the samesite as the fuel dispensers and coupled to the store interface unit sothat a site attendant can monitor and control particular fuelingdispensers from a building at the site (e.g., a gas station or otherstore). The POS system sends data signals to the fuel dispensersproviding various information and commands thereto. The informationtraditionally includes include user prompting controls, graphics, andmedia for display on the fuel dispenser's display screen. The fueldispensers likewise send data signals to the POS system, traditionallyincluding pump number, prompt status, transaction data, and sale value.Thus, traditionally, fuel dispensers must communicate with the POSsystem in order to complete a fuel purchase transaction, therebyrequiring that secure data (e.g., payment details such as credit cardinformation, customer PIN, etc.) be transmitted therebetween andaccordingly be subject to fraudulent access and requiring thatcommunication not be disabled or otherwise interrupted between the fueldispensers and the dispenser controller for fuel purchase transactionsto occur.

Some form of communication gateway is traditionally used to communicatewith a remote source, such as a remote server or a network cloud, toreceive updated information (e.g., updated price information, updatedmedia, etc.) for transmission to the fuel dispensers via either thedispenser controller or the POS system. This communication modelrequires the fuel dispenser to communicate with the remote source withthe communication gateway as an intermediary. The fuel dispenser is thusreliant on the dispenser controller, the POS system, and thecommunication gateway to receive updated information, which may causeservice interruptions, site financial loss, and/or other inconveniencesif the dispenser controller, the POS system, and the communicationgateway loses network connectivity or becomes nonfunctional due to,e.g., power loss, component failure, incompatible software upgrade, etc.

Accordingly, there remains a need for improved methods and devices forfuel dispenser electronic communication.

SUMMARY

In general, methods and devices for fuel dispenser electroniccommunication are provided.

In one aspect, a fuel dispenser is provided that in one embodimentincludes a first compartment having therein a pump for dispensing thefuel, and a second compartment having therein electronics forfacilitating payment for the fuel and for facilitating the dispensing ofthe fuel. The electronics include a controller configured to control thepump to regulate the dispensing of the fuel, a communication link, apayment system, and a cloud communication module configured tofacilitate wireless electronic communication between the fuel dispenserand a network cloud. The cloud communication module is configured totransmit metric data to the network cloud. The metric data includes atleast one of data received by the cloud communication module from thepayment system via the communication link and data received by the cloudcommunication module from the controller via the communication link.

The fuel dispenser can have any number of variations. For example, themetric data can include fuel usage data from the controller that isindicative of an amount of fuel that has been dispensed from the fueldispenser, and payment data from the payment system that is indicativeof a total amount of payment for fuel that has been dispensed from thefuel dispenser. For another example, the metric data can include statusdata from the controller that is indicative of a status of the fueldispenser. For yet another example, the metric data can include statusdata from the controller that is indicative of a status of the fueldispenser, fuel usage data from the controller that is indicative of anamount of fuel that has been dispensed from the fuel dispenser, andpayment data from the payment system that is indicative of a totalamount of payment for fuel that has been dispensed from the fueldispenser. For another example, the fuel dispenser can include a radiofrequency identification (RFID) scanner configured to scan an RFID tagassociated with a component disposed in one of the first compartment andthe second compartment, and the metric data can include data indicativeof information scanned by the RFID scanner.

For another example, the controller can be configured to provideinstructions to the pump to regulate the dispensing of the fuel, and theinstructions can be based on data received by the payment system. Thepayment system can include a mobile payment terminal or can include acard reader attached to the fuel dispenser.

For yet another example, the fuel dispenser can include a display screenconfigured to display media thereon, the media being displayed havingbeen received by the cloud communication module from the network cloud.For still another example, the communication link can include first andsecond communication links each configured to facilitate electroniccommunication between the cloud communication module and the paymentsystem and between the cloud communication module and the controller.For another example, the communication link can be wired.

In another embodiment, a fuel dispenser includes a wired communicationlink on board the fuel dispenser and configured to facilitate electroniccommunication between the fuel dispenser and a payment system, awireless communication link on board the fuel dispenser and configuredto facilitate wireless electronic communication between the fueldispenser and a network cloud, and a processor on board the fueldispenser and configured to cause fuel to be dispensed from the fueldispenser in response to data received via the wired communication linkindicative of a payment attempt for fuel and to data received via thewireless communication link indicative of authorization of the paymentattempt.

The fuel dispenser can have any number of variations. For example, thewireless communication link can be configured to transmit metric data tothe network cloud, and the metric data can include data received via thewired communication link. The metric data can include at least one ofstatus data that is indicative of a status of the fuel dispenser, fuelusage data that is indicative of an amount of fuel that has beendispensed from the fuel dispenser, scanned data that is indicative ofinformation an RFID scanner on board the fuel dispenser scans from oneor more RFID tags attached to one or more components disposed in thefuel dispenser, and payment data that is indicative of a total amount ofpayment for fuel that has been dispensed from the fuel dispenser.

For another example, the wired communication link can be configured tofacilitate electronic communication between the fuel dispenser and acontroller configured to regulate dispensing of fuel from the fueldispenser, and the processor can be configured to cause the fuel to bedispensed from the fuel dispenser by causing instructions to betransmitted to the controller via the wired communication link.

For yet another example, the fuel dispenser can include a display screenconfigured to display media thereon, the media being displayed havingbeen received from the network cloud.

In another aspect a method of using a fuel dispenser is provided that inone embodiment includes receiving at a fuel dispenser via a wiredcommunication link data indicative of a payment attempt for fuel to bedispensed from the fuel dispenser, transmitting the data indicative ofthe payment attempt to a network cloud via a wireless communication linkon board the fuel dispenser, receiving at the fuel dispenser from thenetwork cloud via the wireless communication link data indicative of thepayment attempt having been authorized, and causing the fuel to bedispensed from the fuel dispenser in response to the receipt of the dataindicative of the payment attempt having been authorized.

The method of using the fuel dispenser can have any number ofvariations. For example, the method can include transmitting metric datafrom the fuel dispenser to the network cloud via the wirelesscommunication link, and the metric data can include at least one ofstatus data that is indicative of a status of the fuel dispenser, fuelusage data that is indicative of an amount of fuel that has beendispensed from the fuel dispenser, scanned data that is indicative ofinformation an RFID scanner on board the fuel dispenser scans from oneor more RFID tags attached to one or more components disposed in thefuel dispenser, and payment data that is indicative of a total amount ofpayment for fuel that has been dispensed from the fuel dispenser. Foranother example, the method can include receiving media data at the fueldispenser from the network cloud via the wireless communication link,and displaying media on a display screen of the fuel dispenser inaccordance with the received media data.

Non-transitory computer program products (e.g., physically embodiedcomputer program products) are provided that store instructions, whichwhen executed by one or more data processors of one or more computingsystems, causes at least one data processor to perform operationsherein. Similarly, computer systems are also provided that may includeone or more data processors and memory coupled to the one or more dataprocessors. The memory may temporarily or permanently store instructionsthat cause at least one processor to perform one or more of theoperations described herein. In addition, methods can be implemented byone or more data processors either within a single computing system ordistributed among two or more computing systems. Such computing systemscan be connected and can exchange data and/or commands or otherinstructions or the like via one or more connections, including but notlimited to a connection over a network (e.g. the Internet, a wirelesswide area network, a local area network, a wide area network, a wirednetwork, or the like), via a direct connection between one or more ofthe multiple computing systems, etc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be more fully understood from the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of one embodiment of electronic components ofa fuel dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of one embodiment of cloud service softwareof the electronic components of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of one embodiment of an architecture for acommunication module of a fuel dispenser;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of one embodiment of a fuel dispenser;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a fuel dispenser;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of one embodiment of a fuel dispensingsystem;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of one embodiment of a fuel dispensing systemand network cloud;

FIG. 8 (Prior Art) is a schematic view of a current fuel dispensingsystem and network cloud; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a fuel dispensingsystem and network cloud.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide anoverall understanding of the principles of the structure, function,manufacture, and use of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One ormore examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices andmethods specifically described herein and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings are non-limiting exemplary embodiments and thatthe scope of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. Thefeatures illustrated or described in connection with one exemplaryembodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments. Suchmodifications and variations are intended to be included within thescope of the present invention.

Further, in the present disclosure, like-named components of theembodiments generally have similar features, and thus within aparticular embodiment each feature of each like-named component is notnecessarily fully elaborated upon. Additionally, to the extent thatlinear or circular dimensions are used in the description of thedisclosed systems, devices, and methods, such dimensions are notintended to limit the types of shapes that can be used in conjunctionwith such systems, devices, and methods. A person skilled in the artwill recognize that an equivalent to such linear and circular dimensionscan easily be determined for any geometric shape.

Various exemplary methods and devices for fuel dispenser electroniccommunication are provided. In general, a fuel dispenser can beconfigured to electronically communicate with a network cloud to accesscloud technology services. The communication can be direct, e.g.,without the fuel dispenser communicating with the cloud network throughan intermediary such as a fuel dispenser forecourt controller. The fueldispenser being configured to directly communicate with the networkcloud may allow the fuel dispenser to access the cloud technologyservices even when there is no fuel dispenser forecourt controllerpresent or when a fuel dispenser forecourt controller is present butloses network connectivity or becomes nonfunctional due to, e.g., powerloss, component failure, incompatible software upgrade, etc. The fueldispenser being configured to directly communicate with the networkcloud may allow the fuel dispenser to communicate with the cloudentirely wirelessly, which may help reduce maintenance costs and/or helpreduce the likelihood of communication failure, since fuel dispenserstraditionally communicate with the dispenser controller via wiredconnection involving two wires that typically need regular monitoringand maintenance and that run outside of the fuel dispenser and hence aremore likely to be damaged and/or tampered with than components securedwithin the fuel dispenser. Additionally, upgrading a fuel dispenser thathas a two-wire connection to have more than two wires for communicationpurposes is very costly and is disruptive to a fueling site. Upgradingthe fuel dispenser to be configured to electronically communicate with anetwork cloud to access cloud technology services would be lessexpensive and hence a more attractive option than upgrading existingfuel dispensers and than buying entirely new fuel dispensers.

The fuel dispenser being configured to directly communicate with thenetwork cloud may allow the fuel dispenser to manage its own monitoring,payments, and media. The cloud technology services that the fueldispenser can be configured to directly access can include any one ormore of monitoring and analytics services that enable site owners tounderstand the status of the fuel dispenser(s) at their fueling site(e.g., gas station or other store), fuel management services that allowcomparison of fuel usage metrics with fuel tank metrics, mobile paymentservices that allow for the processing of payment transactions for fueland/or other goods or services provided at a fuel dispensing site (e.g.,car washes, in-store items such as food and drinks, etc.) involving acustomer mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, payment terminalservices that allow for the processing of payment transactions for fueland/or other goods or services provided at a fuel dispensing siteinvolving a card reader or other payment terminal at the fuel dispenser,and media services that allow visual and/or audible media (e.g.,advertisements, entertainment, maps, etc.) to be provided by the fueldispenser.

The fuel dispenser can include a communication module configured toelectronically communicate with the network cloud. The communicationmodule can be on board the dispenser, such as by being disposed in ahousing thereof or otherwise attached to the housing thereof, which mayallow the fuel dispenser to manage its own communications. Thus, in theevent that any one of a plurality of fuel dispensers at a fueling siteexperiences a failure that prevents cloud communication (e.g., powerloss, component failure, fraud detection resulting in a lock-out of thefuel dispenser, etc.), the other, non-failed fuel dispensers maycontinue to electronically communicate normally with the cloud. Incontrast, in traditional systems in which the plurality of fueldispensers communicate with the cloud indirectly through a dispensercontroller, if the controller experiences a failure that prevents cloudcommunication, all of the dispensers lose communication and the siteaccordingly risks problems such as financial loss and reduced customerconfidence. The communication module being on board the fuel dispensermay allow existing fuel dispensers to be retrofitted with thecommunication module so as to gain an ability to electronicallycommunicate directly with the network cloud to access cloud technologyservices.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a communication module 100configured to electronically communicate with a network cloud to accesscloud technology services. The communication module (also referred toherein as a “micro computing device”) 100 is configured to be installedon board a fuel dispenser, as discussed herein. The communication module100 includes one or more wireless communication links 102, 104configured to facilitate wireless communication between the fueldispenser and a network cloud, cloud service software 108 executable bya processor on board the fuel dispenser and configured to facilitateexecution at the fuel dispenser of cloud controlled applications, one ormore wired communication links 110, 112 configured to facilitate wiredcommunication between the communication module 100 and an outdoorpayment terminal 114 of the fuel dispenser and a pump controller board106 of the fuel dispenser. The payment terminal 114 and the pumpcontroller board 106 are also configured to communicate with oneanother, such as via wired communication link(s) within the fueldispenser.

The outdoor payment terminal 114 can have any of a variety ofconfigurations. In general, the outdoor payment terminal 114 includes apayment mechanism accessible to a customer outside the fuel dispenser tofacilitate the customer's payment for fuel and/or other goods orservices available at the site of the fuel dispenser. Examples of theoutdoor payment terminal 114 include a card reader configured tointerface with a customer's card (e.g., credit card, debit card, etc.)and a mobile payment gateway configured to interface with a customer'smobile terminal such as a mobile phone. The outdoor payment terminal 114can, in at least some embodiments, include both a card reader and amobile payment gateway. In other embodiments, the outdoor paymentterminal 114 can include only one of a card reader and a mobile paymentgateway. The outdoor payment terminal 114 including only a mobilepayment gateway may allow for avoidance of any change in card readerstandards, such as a change to the EMV technical standard, which may bea very costly change and/or may become outdated quickly as technologyand consumer preferences change.

The pump controller board 106 can have any of a variety ofconfigurations. In general, the pump controller board 106 is configuredto control operation of a pump of the fuel dispenser that pumps fuelfrom a fuel reservoir and out of the fuel dispenser. The pump controllerboard 106 includes any number of components configured to facilitatedata processing, such as a memory storing instructions and a processorconfigured to execute the stored instructions.

The one or more wireless communication links 102, 104 are, as mentionedabove, configured to facilitate wireless communication between the fueldispenser and the network cloud. The wireless communication can beaccording to any of a variety of communication protocols, e.g., TCP/IP,etc., as will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art. Thewireless cellular connectivity 102 is configured to provide wirelessmobile communication, such as cellular connectivity. The wirelesscellular connectivity 102 is 4G connectivity but other types of mobilecommunication standards may be used instead or in addition. Any of avariety of types of wireless cellular connectivity hardware can be usedfor the wireless cellular connectivity 102, as will be appreciated by aperson skilled in the art. The wireless AC connectivity 104 isconfigured to provide wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE802.11ac wireless networking standard. Connectivity according to anotherwireless networking standard is possible and may be includedalternatively or in addition. The wireless AC connectivity 104 mayfacilitate wireless mesh network communication, as will be appreciatedby a person skilled in the art. Any of a variety of types of wireless ACconnectivity hardware can be used for the wireless AC connectivity 104,as will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art. The communicationmodule 100 includes each of wireless cellular connectivity 102 andwireless AC connectivity 104 in this illustrated embodiment, but acommunication module can include only one of these types of wirelessconnectivity. For example, the types of wireless connectivity that thecommunication module 100 includes can be chosen by an owner of the fueldispenser according to the owner's current fueling site setup and/orfuture fueling site plans, and the communication module 100 may bemanufactured accordingly.

The one or more wired communication links 110, 112 are, as mentionedabove, configured to facilitate wired communication between thecommunication module 100 and the outdoor payment terminal 114 andbetween the communication module 100 and the pump controller board 106.The wired communication can be according to any of a variety ofcommunication protocols, e.g., TCP/IP, etc., as will be appreciated by aperson skilled in the art. The two-wire connectivity 110 is configuredto provide wired communication via two wires, such as via a controllerarea network bus (CAN Bus) two wire connection, an RS485 two wireconnection, a current loop connection, or other type of two wireconnection. The cable connectivity 112 is configured to provide wiredcommunication via cable connection, such as an Ethernet cable or othernetwork cable. The communication module 100 includes each of two-wireconnectivity 110 and cable connectivity 112 in this illustratedembodiment, but a communication module can include only one of thesetypes of wired connectivity. For example, older fuel dispenserstypically have two-wire connectivity capabilities while newer fueldispensers typically have Ethernet connectivity capabilities instead.Thus, a communication module to be retrofit to an older fuel dispensermay be manufactured to include wired connectivity only with the two-wireconnectivity 110, while a communication module to be retrofit to anolder fuel dispenser may be manufactured to include wired connectivityonly with the cable connectivity 112.

The communication module 100 includes all of one or more wirelesscommunication links 102, 104 and one or more wired communication links110, 112 in this illustrated embodiment, but in other embodiments, thecommunication module 100 can include only wireless communication link(s)102, 104 or can include only wired communication link(s) 110, 112.

The communication module 100 can include one or more antennas tofacilitate communication via its communication links.

The cloud service software 108 is, as mentioned above, configured tofacilitate execution at the fuel dispenser of cloud controlledapplications. As shown in FIG. 2, the cloud service software 108includes a plurality of modules 116, 118, 120, 122, 124. A personskilled in the art will appreciate that any of the modules can besubdivided or can be combined with other modules.

The media module 116 is configured to access from the network cloudmedia services that allow visual and/or audible media to be provided bythe fuel dispenser. The media module 116 is thus configured tofacilitate the fuel dispenser's provision of media on a display of thefuel dispenser and/or through a speaker of the fuel dispenser. The mediamodule 116 is configured to receive the media from the network cloud(e.g., from a server in the cloud, etc.) and to store the media in amedia library at the fuel dispenser, which may be stored in a memory ofthe fuel dispenser. The media can be transmitted from the network cloudto the fuel dispenser according to any of a variety of schedules, aswill be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, and as chosen forthe fuel dispenser in any of a variety of ways, as will also beappreciated by a person skilled in the art. Traditionally, if a fueldispenser has indirect connectivity to the network cloud, media for thefuel dispenser is received by an in-store point of sale (POS) terminaland then provided to the fuel dispenser. The media module 116 allows thefuel dispenser to be in control of its own media, which may allow moretargeted media to be provided to the fuel dispenser (e.g., media moregeographically relevant to customers of the fuel dispenser, media morespecific to the particular fueling site that includes the fueldispenser, etc.) and/or updated media to be provided more frequently tothe fuel dispenser since an intermediary such as the POS terminal neednot be involved.

In at least some embodiments, the fuel dispenser can be configured tofunction in standalone mode with the media module 116 controllingprovision of media (e.g., on a display of the fuel dispenser, etc.)without instruction from the network cloud. The provided media can bejust for the fuel dispenser or can be provided in sync with mediaprovided on the other fuel dispenser at the same site as the fueldispensers.

The mobile payment module 118 is configured to access from the networkcloud mobile payment services that allow for the processing of mobilepayment transactions for fuel and/or other goods or services provided atthe fuel dispensing site that includes the fuel dispenser. The mobilepayment module 118 allows the fuel dispenser to act as its own serverfor mobile payment transactions that communicates with the network cloudto receive verification (or refusal) of a customer's mobile paymentinformation. The fuel dispenser thus need not communicate with adispenser controller or with an in-store POS terminal in order toauthorize a mobile payment that allows the customer to access therequested good(s)/service(s), e.g., for the customer to begin fueling,for the customer to drive through the car wash, etc. Instead, the fueldispenser may directly communicate with the network cloud to verify themobile payment. The mobile payment module 118 may thus speed up mobilepayment transactions and/or allow secure data to be transmitted betweenfewer points (e.g., between the fuel dispenser and the network cloudwithout a dispenser controller and/or an in-store POS terminal asintermediary points) and thus be less likely to be fraudulentlyaccessed. The mobile payment module 118 can be configured to receiveauthorization for mobile payments from the network cloud in any of avariety of ways, as will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art.

The fuel management module 120 is configured to access from the networkcloud fuel management services that allow comparison of fuel usagemetrics with fuel tank metrics. The fuel management module 120 allowsthe fuel dispenser to gather fuel usage metrics for fuel dispensedtherefrom, to gather totalized fuel purchase transactions, and totransmit the gathered fuel usage metrics and the gathered totalized fuelpurchase transactions to the network cloud. The fuel management module120 can be configured to control the gathering of fuel usage metrics inany of a variety of ways, as will be appreciated by a person skilled inthe art. For example, the fuel management module 120 can be configuredto electronically communicate with a fuel meter of the fuel dispenser,receive fuel dispensing information therefrom, and cause the receivedfuel dispensing information to the stored in a memory of the fueldispenser for subsequent transmission to the network cloud. The fuelmanagement module 120 can be configured to control the gathering oftotalized fuel purchase transactions in any of a variety of ways, aswill be appreciated by a person skilled in the art. For example, thefuel management module 120 can be configured to access a memory of thefuel dispenser having stored therein fuel payment information asprovided thereto by the mobile payment module 118 and/or the paymentterminal module 124. The network cloud can be configured to, as will beappreciated by a person skilled in the art, compare the received fuelusage metrics and totalized fuel purchase transactions with tank gaugemetrics (e.g., data from an automated regulator, etc.) to help determineany inefficiencies in fuel management, which may help identify neededfuel dispenser service and/or help identify if fuel is being lostanywhere between the fuel reservoir and its eventual dispensing from thefuel dispenser.

The monitoring and analytics module 122 is configured to access from thenetwork cloud monitoring and analytics services that enable site ownersto understand the status of the fuel dispenser. The monitoring andanalytics module 122 allows the fuel dispenser to monitor one or moremetrics related thereto and transmit monitored information to thenetwork cloud for analysis. One example of a network cloud monitoringand analytics service that can analyze such data is the Wayne iSense™remote monitoring system. Examples of the metrics include a temperatureof dispensed fuel, emissions from the fuel dispenser's pump, number ofpayment transactions per unit time, and amount of fuel pumped in a timeperiod. The monitoring and analytics module 122 can allow the fueldispenser to store time/date stamped records of events and alarmconditions that occur at the fuel dispenser, such as networkconnectivity losses, any identified possible security breaches, etc.,and to transmit the stored events and alarms to the network cloud for,e.g., recordkeeping and/or management follow-up.

The payment terminal module 124 is configured to access from the networkcloud outdoor payment services that allow for the processing of outdoorpayment transactions for fuel and/or other goods or services provided ata fuel dispensing site involving a card reader or other payment terminalat the fuel dispenser. The payment terminal module 124 allows the fueldispenser to act as its own server for payment transactions made via thepayment terminal that communicates with the network cloud to receiveverification (or refusal) of a customer's payment information. The fueldispenser thus need not communicate with a dispenser controller or withan in-store POS terminal in order to authorize the payment that allowsthe customer to access the requested good(s)/service(s), e.g., for thecustomer to begin fueling, for the customer to drive through the carwash, etc. Instead, the fuel dispenser may directly communicate with thenetwork cloud to verify the payment made via the payment terminal. Thepayment terminal module 124 may thus speed up payment transactions madeusing the payment terminal and/or allow secure data to be transmittedbetween fewer points (e.g., between the fuel dispenser and the networkcloud without a dispenser controller and/or an in-store POS terminal asintermediary points) and thus be less likely to be fraudulentlyaccessed. The payment terminal module 124 can be configured to receiveauthorization for payments from the network cloud in any of a variety ofways, as will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art. The paymentterminal module 124 can be configured to switch between secure andunsecure prompting for customer information to be input to the fueldispenser, e.g., via a keypad of the fuel dispenser, via a touchscreenof the fuel dispenser, etc. without needing instruction for such from adispenser controller and/or an in-store POS terminal.

Some vehicles are able to emit a wireless signal indicating informationrelated to fueling of the vehicle. The communication module 100 (e.g.,the mobile payment module 118 and/or the payment terminal module 124) isconfigured to communicate wirelessly with a vehicle in effectivecommunication range therewith. The communication module 100 isconfigured to receive a wireless signal being emitted from the vehicleand thereby receive information from the vehicle related to a user'sfuel transaction, such as an amount of fuel needed to fill the vehicle'stank, payment information for a customer associated with the vehicle,and service information for the vehicle. The received information may bepresented to the user (e.g., via a display of the fuel dispenser) tofacilitate completion of the fuel transaction, such as presentingreceived payment information to the user that the user can verify as thecorrect payment details for the transaction.

The communication module 100 includes all of the modules 116, 118, 120,122, 124 in this illustrated embodiment. In other embodiments, thecommunication module 100 can include only a subset of the modules 116,118, 120, 122, 124, e.g., include one, two, three, or four of themodules 116, 118, 120, 122, 124 instead of all five. For example, thecommunication module 100 can include any one or more of the modules 118,120, 122, 124 if the fuel dispenser does not have a display screen onwhich media can be shown so as to render the media module 116unnecessary. However, in anticipation of fuel dispenser upgrades, thecommunication module 100 may include the media module 116 even if thefuel dispenser currently lacks a display screen. For another example,the communication module 100 can include the mobile payment module 118and, optionally, any one or more of the modules 116, 120, 122 if thefuel dispenser is configured only for mobile payments so as to renderthe payment terminal module 124 unnecessary. For yet another example,the communication module 100 can include the payment terminal module 124and, optionally, any one or more of the modules 116, 120, 122 if thefuel dispenser is configured only for payment terminal so as to renderthe mobile payment module 118 unnecessary. However, in anticipation offuel dispenser upgrades, the communication module 100 may include themobile payment module 118 even if the fuel dispenser is currentlyconfigured to only accept payments via a payment terminal.

The fuel dispenser includes at least one processor configured to executethe cloud service software 108. For example, the fuel dispenser caninclude a computing system, such as the Raspberry Pi, the Arduino Uno,or the CHIP computer, that includes a processor and a memory storing thecloud service software 108 executable by the processor.

The communication module 100 can be a box configured to be attached to afuel dispenser as part of the fuel dispenser's manufacturing processsuch that the communication module 100 is an original part thereof orcan be a box configured to be attached to a fuel dispenser as part of aretrofitting process to an existing fuel controller. The box includes ahousing having at least partially therein the one or more wirelesscommunication links 102, 104, the cloud service software 108, and theone or more wired communication links 110, 112. The communicationmodule's one or more antennas can be at least partially located outsidethe box to facilitate the antenna's network accessibility. The box caninclude one or more communication links specifically selected for a fueldispenser so as to provide customized communication capability to thefuel dispenser, new or existing, to which the box is attached. Forexample, the communication module 100 can include only wiredcommunication link(s) for owners with fueling sites already configuredto wired connectivity. For another example, the communication module 100can include both wireless communication link(s) and wired communicationlink(s) to provide versatility. Similarly, the box can include cloudcommunication capabilities specifically selected for a fuel dispenser(new or existing) since the modules that the cloud service software 108includes can be different for different communication modules 100. Forexample, one communication module 100 can include the modules 118, 120,122, 124 but not the media module 116 if the fuel dispenser does nothave a display screen on which media can be shown.

The box can have a variety of sizes. In an exemplary embodiment, the boxcan have a dimension of 3 in. by 2 in. by 1 in., which may facilitatedisposal of the box within many existing fuel dispensers and fittinginto existing designs of fuel dispensers.

In an exemplary embodiment, the box is compliant with the relevantUnderwriters Laboratory (UL) standards to provide safety and userconfidence when the box is the combustible environment of a fuelingsite.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of an architecture 126 for acommunication module such as the communication module 100 of FIG. 1 orany of the other communication modules described herein. In general, thearchitecture 126 is configured to implement the communication module'scloud service software. The architecture 126 includes one or moreapplications 128, one or more drivers for peripherals and a boardsupport package (BSP) 130, a processor 132, operating system (OS)wrappers 134, application programming interfaces (APIs) 136, andfunctional applications 138. The one or more applications 128 arecontrolled by the network cloud with which the communication module thatincludes the architecture 126 is configured to wirelessly communicate.The one or more applications 128 include a communication manager 140configured to facilitate communication between the network cloud and thefuel dispenser that includes the communication module, a data manager142 for managing gathered data and stored data, and a device manager 144configured to facilitate control of hardware of the fuel dispenser. Theone or more applications 128 are configured to communicate with thedrivers and BSP 130. The BSP can be implemented in Linux, as in thisillustrated embodiment, or other OS. The drivers and BSP 130 areconfigured to communicate with the processor 132, which is an LS1021Ahardware platform in this illustrated embodiment, although otherprocessors may be used. The drivers and BSP 130 are also configured tocommunicate with the OS wrappers 134 and the APIs 136. The OS wrappers134 and the APIs 136 are configured to communicate with the functionalapplications 138. The functional applications 138 generally relate tofunctions of the fuel dispenser, including a console application, adispenser interface, a POS, and electronic payment.

FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a fuel dispenser 146 configured toelectronically communicate with a network cloud to access cloudtechnology services. The fuel dispenser 146 includes an electronicscompartment 148, a pump compartment 150, a nozzle 152, and an antenna154.

The electronics compartment 148 has therein electronics therein forfacilitating payment for the fuel and for facilitating the dispensing ofthe fuel. The electronics include a controller 156, a communication link158 configured to provide wired and/or wireless communication, acommunication module 160 configured to electronically communicate with anetwork cloud to access cloud technology services, a display 162configured to show information thereon, a memory 164 configured to storedata therein, and a payment terminal 166 configured to facilitatecustomer payment. As mentioned above, the fuel dispenser 146 can beconfigured for mobile payment instead of in addition to payment throughthe payment terminal 166 and hence need not include the payment terminal166. As also mentioned above, the communication link 158 can be part ofthe communication module 160.

The pump compartment 150 includes a pump 168 configured to pump fuelfrom a fuel tank or other reservoir and includes a fuel meter 170configured to monitor fuel flow. The pump compartment 150 can includeother elements to facilitate fuel dispensing, such as valves, a vaporrecovery system, etc., as will be appreciated by a person skilled in theart. The pump compartment 150 is isolated from the electronicscompartment 148 within the fuel dispenser 146 to facilitate safety,security, and/or maintenance, as will be appreciated by a person skilledin the art. Fuel is thus not allowed to flow from the pump compartment150 to the electronics compartment 148 and instead flows from the pumpcompartment 150 to the nozzle 152 for dispensing. The nozzle 152includes one or more nozzles each configured to dispense fuel from thefuel dispenser as pumped therefrom by the pump 168.

The antenna 154 is configured to facilitate communication through thecommunication link 158. As mentioned above, the antenna 154 can be partof the communication module 160.

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of a fuel dispenser 172 configuredto electronically communicate with a network cloud to access cloudtechnology services. The fuel dispenser 172 includes an electronicscompartment 174 and a pump compartment 176. The electronics compartment174 has electronics at least partially disposed therein, as discussedherein. The electronics are obscured in FIG. 5 except for a display 184on the electronics compartment 174. A second display is on the otherside of the electronics compartment 174 but is obscured in FIG. 5. Thepump compartment 176 has elements to facilitate fuel dispensing at leastpartially disposed therein, as discussed herein.

The fuel dispenser 172 is configured to be connected to an undergroundreservoir containing fuel. When filling up the tank of a motor vehicle,the fuel is pumped from the underground reservoir by a pump located inthe pump compartment 176 and to a nozzle 178 via a fuel pipe (not shown)and a fuel hose 180. When the fuel hose 180 is not in use, the fuel hose180 hangs along the fuel dispenser 172, and the nozzle 178 is insertedin a nozzle boot 182. The fuel dispenser 172 includes four hoses andfour nozzles on one side of the dispenser and four hoses and fournozzles on the other side of the dispenser, but as will be appreciatedby a person skilled in the art, the fuel dispenser 172 can includeanother number of hoses and nozzles. A person skilled in the art willalso appreciate that the fuel dispenser 172 can have various otherconfigurations.

The fuel dispenser 172 includes a communication module 186 that is incommunication with electronics in the electronics compartment 174. Thecommunication module 186 is mounted on a top housing of the fueldispenser 172 but as mentioned above, the communication module 186 caninstead be within the electronics compartment 174. The communicationmodule 186 being attached to the top housing may facilitate retrofittingof the communication module 186 to an existing fuel dispenser and/orfacilitate repair, upgrade, or other maintenance of the communicationmodule 186. The fuel dispenser 172 also includes an antenna 188, whichis attached to the communication module 186.

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of a fuel dispensing system 190 for afueling site that includes a plurality of fuel dispensers 192 that eachinclude a communication module 194 with an antenna 196. Thecommunication modules 194 are mounted to top housings 198 of the fueldispensers 192 similar to the communication modules 186 of FIG. 5. Thesystem 190 includes three fuel dispenser 192 but can include any numberof fuel dispensers. In the event that the system 190 includes more thanone fuel dispenser, the fuel dispensers can each be the same as oneanother, or any one of the fuel dispensers can vary from any one or moreof the other fuel dispensers. The fuel dispensers 192 in thisillustrated embodiment are the same as one another.

The fuel dispensers 192 are in a forecourt of the fueling site. Thesystem 190 also includes a monitoring area, typically in a store, salesroom, or other station area at the fueling site or at a remote location(e.g., a corporate office, etc.), that allows a user to monitor thefueling site. The monitoring area includes a computer including a server200 and display 202, a wireless access point (AP) 204 electronicallycoupled to the computer and configured to communicate with thecommunication modules 194, a printer 212 electronically coupled to thecomputer, an attendant identity card reader 206 electronically coupledto the computer, and a fuel tank indication system 208 electronicallycoupled to the computer configured to monitor fuel tanks 210 thatprovide fuel to the dispensers 192. The fuel tanks 210 can be in theforecourt (e.g., underground in the forecourt) rather than themonitoring area.

FIG. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a fuel dispensing system 214 at afueling site 216 and network cloud 218 with which one or more fueldispensers 220 at the site 216 are configured to directly communicate.For ease of illustration and explanation only one fuel dispenser 220 isshown at the site 216, but the site 216 can include a plurality of fueldispensers, which may each be the same as each other or different fromany one or more of the other fuel dispensers at the site 216. In anexemplary embodiment in which a plurality of fuel dispensers are at thesite 216, each of the fuel dispensers includes a communication modulesimilar to a communication module 221 of the fuel dispenser 220 suchthat each of the plurality of fuel dispensers is configured to directlycommunicate with the cloud 218. Although specific types of wirelesscommunication (e.g., cellular, etc.) and wired communication (e.g., CANbus, etc.) are shown in FIG. 7, as discussed above, various types ofwireless and wired communication can be used. For comparison purposes,FIG. 8 illustrates a current fuel dispensing system 222 at a fuelingsite 224 and a current network cloud 226 with which a POS system 228 atthe site 224 is configured to communicate. For ease of illustration andexplanation only one fuel dispenser 230 is shown at the site 224, butthe site 224 can include a plurality of fuel dispensers, which may eachbe the same as each other or different from any one or more of the otherfuel dispensers at the site 224.

As shown in FIG. 7, the fuel dispenser 220 includes the communicationmodule 221 configured to communicate directly with the cloud 218 and anin-store system 232; a fuel controller 234 configured to communicatewith the communication module 221 and the in-store system 232; one ormore fuel pumps 236 configured to communicate with the fuel controller234; a communication link 238 configured to communicate with the fuelcontroller 234; a payment module 240 (e.g., a keypad, etc.) configuredto communicate with the communication link 238; a card reader 242configured to communicate with the payment module 240; a near fieldcommunication (NFC) reader 244 for mobile terminal communicationconfigured to communicate with the payment module 240 and thecommunication module 221; and a display 246 configured to communicatewith the payment module 240 and the communication link 238. The in-storesystem 232 includes a local area network 248, a forecourt controller250, a POS system 252, and a firewall 254 through which communicationscan occur with the cloud 218. In contrast, the fuel dispenser 230 of thecurrent fuel dispensing system 222 of FIG. 8 lacks a communicationmodule and communication link and cannot communicate directly with thecloud 226. The fuel dispenser 230 must instead communicate indirectlywith the cloud 226 through the in-store system 232, e.g., through a POSsystem 258 and forecourt controller 260 thereof. Also, unlike thein-store system 228 of FIG. 7, the in-store system 232 includes a cloudgateway 256 for communication with the cloud 226.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cloud 218 includes media services 262 accessibleto the fuel dispenser 220 via the communication module 221 (e.g., via amedia module thereof) that allow visual and/or audible media to beprovided by the fuel dispenser 220 on the display 246. In contrast, thefuel dispenser 230 of FIG. 8 cannot directly receive any media from thecloud 226 without the gateway 256 of the in-store system 228 being anintermediary. As mentioned above, in at least some embodiments, thecommunication module 221 can be configured to function in standalonemode and control provision of media on the display 246 withoutinstruction from the cloud 218.

The cloud 218 also includes mobile payment and loyalty services 264accessible to the fuel dispenser 220 via the communication module 221(e.g., via a mobile payment module thereof) that allow for theprocessing of mobile payment transactions for fuel and/or other goods orservices provided at the site 216 that includes the fuel dispenser 220.In contrast, the cloud 226 of FIG. 8 lacks mobile payment and loyaltyservices, as any mobile payment and loyalty processing is handled at thein-store system 228. The fuel dispenser 220 of FIG. 7, unlike the fueldispenser 230 of FIG. 8, may thus more efficiently handle mobile paymentand loyalty processing and/or more seamlessly provide mobile paymentservice to a user of the fuel dispenser 220. The mobile payment andloyalty services 264 may allow the fuel dispenser 220 to accept mobilepayment via the NFC reader 244 and activate the dispenser 220 todispense fuel therefrom in response to verified mobile payment, unlikethe fuel dispenser 230 of FIG. 8 that must process mobile paymentthrough the in-store system 228 instead of directly with the cloud.

The cloud 218 also includes data collection and reporting services 266accessible to the fuel dispenser 220 via the communication module 221(e.g., via a fuel management module thereof) that allow comparison offuel usage metrics with fuel tank metrics. In contrast, the fueldispenser 230 of FIG. 8 cannot directly communicate any fuel usagemetrics to the cloud 226 without the gateway 256 of the in-store system228 being an intermediary.

The cloud 218 also includes analysis services 268 accessible to the fueldispenser 220 via the communication module 221 (e.g., via a monitoringand analytics module thereof) that enable site owners to understand thestatus of the fuel dispenser 220. In contrast, the cloud 226 of FIG. 8lacks analysis services, as any analysis to understand the status of afuel dispenser is handled at the in-store system 228. The fuel dispenser220 of FIG. 7, unlike the fuel dispenser 230 of FIG. 8, may thus be moreefficiently managed and maintained.

The cloud 218 also includes electronic payment services (EPS) 270accessible to the fuel dispenser 220 via the communication module 221(e.g., via a payment terminal module thereof) that allow for theprocessing of outdoor payment transactions for fuel and/or other goodsor services provided at the site 216 involving the card reader 242 atthe fuel dispenser 220. In contrast, the cloud 226 of FIG. 8 lacks EPSand cannot process outdoor payment transactions without communicatingwith the in-store system 228 as an intermediary, and payment informationshown on a display 231 of the fuel dispenser 230 is controlled by thePOS system 258.

The cloud 218 also includes forecourt services 272 accessible to thefuel dispenser 220 (e.g., the fuel controller 234 thereof) via thecommunication module 221 (e.g., via a forecourt module thereof) thatallow for controlling an amount of fuel that is dispensed from the fueldispenser 220. In contrast, a fuel controller 274 of the fuel dispenser230 of FIG. 8 communicated with the forecourt controller 260 to controlan amount of fuel dispensed from the fuel dispenser 230. Communicationlines must thus be provided between the in-store system 260 and the fueldispenser 230, unlike in the system 214 of FIG. 7 which may accordinglyhave lower overhead since such communication lines are not needed forthe fuel controller 234 and/or may allow a site owner to more easilyintegrate forecourt controls into their site 216 services.

A fuel dispenser can be configured to use radio frequency identification(RFID) tags to track warranty and maintenance of one or more componentsof the fuel dispenser. Components within a fuel dispenser may bereplaced during the dispenser's lifetime with components that are notcorrect for the dispenser, e.g., unauthorized parts and/or incompatibleparts. Being able to track components within the fuel dispenser mayfacilitate identification of these improperly replaced parts and maytrigger appropriate remedial action, such as notice of voided warranty,notice that the improper part should be replaced with a proper part,etc. It can be difficult to track the warranty on new components withina fuel dispenser that are added to replace an existing part becausedistributors and authorized service agents do not always return replacedparts in a timely manner. Being able to track components within the fueldispenser may facilitate identification of the new components within thedispenser and allow for more accurate tracking of the new components'warranties. A fuel dispenser is typically manufactured according to abill of materials (BOM) that specifies the parts to be included in thefuel dispenser. Being able to track components within the fuel dispensermay help ensure that all parts specified in the BOM are included in thefuel dispenser.

One or more components of the fuel dispenser can have an RFID tagattached thereto configured to facilitate tracking thereof. In anexemplary embodiment, every part of the fuel dispenser can have an RFIDtag attached thereto to facilitate complete tracking of the fueldispenser's components. In other embodiments, only some of the parts ofthe fuel dispenser can have an attached RFID tag attached thereto, suchas only those parts that are added to the fuel dispenser after the fueldispenser is installed on site (e.g., as parts are replaced in the fueldispenser, the new parts added to the fuel dispenser include RFID tags),such as only those parts above a certain price point, such as only thoseparts that most often require warranty invocation, or such as only thoseparts that are typically replaced at least once during the lifetime of afuel dispenser.

The RFID tag can have any of a variety of configurations and can includeany of a variety of existing RFID tags, as will be appreciated by aperson skilled in the art. In general, the RFID tag is configured to beprogrammable to allow programming of identification information into thetag to facilitate identification of the part to which the RFID tag isattached. The identification information can include, for example, amanufacturer of the part, software version installed on the part,warranty information (e.g., length of warranty time, etc.), and/or aserial number of the part.

The fuel dispenser can include one or more RFID scanners configured toscan the one or more RFID tags attached to one or more parts of the fueldispenser to gather identification information from the RFID tags. In anexemplary embodiment, the fuel dispenser can include a first RFIDscanner in an electronics compartment thereof configured to scan RFIDtags on parts within the electronics component and a second RFID scannerin a pump compartment thereof configured to scan RFID tags on partswithin the pump component. The electronics compartment and pumpcompartment are typically isolated from each other and each defined by ametal housing, so having an RFID scanner in each of the two compartmentsmay allow the RFID scanners to read RFID tags without having to scanthrough metal, e.g., through the housing of the compartment within whichit is disposed. The RFID scanners can have any of a variety ofconfigurations and can include any of a variety of existing RFIDscanners, as will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art.

The fuel dispenser can include a communication module, as discussedherein, that is configured communicate with the fuel dispenser's one ormore RFID scanners. The communication module can be configured to gatherfrom each of the one or more RFID scanners the identificationinformation received by the one or more RFID scanners. The communicationmodule can be configured to communicate with a network cloud, asdiscussed herein, and communicate the identification informationthereto. The network cloud can then analyze the identificationinformation to identify predetermined conditions and/or transmit theidentification information to another computer system for such analysis.The predetermined conditions can include any one or more of a new partin the fuel dispenser (e.g., determining that the RFID tag has beenscanned for the first time for that fuel dispenser), an unauthorizedpart being in the fuel dispenser (e.g., determining that a part with anunauthorized manufacturer is in the fuel dispenser, determining that apart with an unrecognized serial number is in the fuel dispenser, etc.),a part having an outdated software version, a part having an expiredwarranty, and a part being missing from the fuel dispenser (e.g.,determining that one or more parts listed on a BOM for the fueldispenser is not included in the received scan data or determining thata part previously scanned was not scanned in the most recent scan).

The fuel dispenser's one or more RFID scanners can be configured to scanRFID tags on a predetermined schedule, e.g., every 24 hours, every otherhour, every week, every month, etc. The fuel dispenser's one or moreRFID scanners can be configured to continuously scan so as toimmediately detect any new RFID tags and thereby help ensure that themost up-to-date information about the fuel dispenser's parts is receivedby the cloud.

During manufacturing of a fuel dispenser, the parts installed on thefuel dispenser can be RFID scanned as the dispenser moves from stationto station along the manufacturing line on the production floor. If anyone or more parts that should have been installed at a previous stationis not identified in the scan, it can be concluded that those part(s)are missing from the fuel dispenser and that corrective action should betaken, such as the dispenser being pulled from the line for installationof the missing part(s) and/or an alarm signal being sent to the stationwhere the missing part(s) were identified so a user can determineappropriate action to take. At the end of manufacturing, a completeinventory of all parts can be communicated from the dispenser'scommunication module to the cloud to establish a baseline for thedispenser, against which subsequent scans may be compared to determine,e.g., replaced parts, expired warranties, etc.

In addition to or instead of the fuel dispenser communicating scan datato the cloud, the communication module can be configured to communicatethe scan data to a local computer system. For example, during servicingof the fuel dispenser, an authorized service agent may download the candata from the fuel dispenser via the communication module, such as by amobile terminal communicating with the fuel dispenser. Thus, the agentmay be able to immediately identify any warranty problems with parts ofthe fuel dispenser and determine whether those parts are currentlysubject to warrantied service, and/or the agent may be able to determinethat parts are replaced with parts appropriate for the dispenser.

In addition to or instead of the fuel dispenser including one or moreRFID scanners on-board that scan the one or more RFID tags attached toparts of the fuel dispenser, the one or more RFID tags can be read by anRFID scanner external to the fuel dispenser, e.g., a handheld RFIDscanner manipulated by a user. For example, during servicing of the fueldispenser, an authorized service agent may manually scan the dispenser'sRFID tags with an RFID scanner.

The fuel dispenser 146 of FIG. 4 is one embodiment of a fuel dispenserthat includes at least one RFID scanner 167, 171. Each of theelectronics compartment 148 and the pump compartment 150 have an RFIDscanner 167, 171 disposed therein, with its associated RFID scanner 167,171 being configured to scan RFID tags attached to any of the partswithin that compartment. The communication module 160 can, as discussedabove, be configured to communicate RFID data to the cloud for analysis.

FIG. 9 illustrates one embodiment of a fuel dispenser 276 including anRFID scanner 278 configured to scan RFID tags attached to various partsdisposed within the dispenser 276. The RFID scanner 278 is in electroniccommunication with a communication module 280 of the fuel dispenser 276that is configured to communicate with a cloud 282, as discussed herein,thereby allowing information indicative of data scanned by the RFIDscanner 278 to be communicated from the fuel dispenser 276 to the cloud282. The cloud 282 includes asset tracking services 284 accessible tothe fuel dispenser 276 via the communication module 280 that allow fortracking warranty and maintenance of the components of the fueldispenser 276 that have RFID tags attached thereto that are scanned bythe RFID scanner 278.

The fuel dispenser 276 includes a plurality of components that each havean RFID tag attached thereto and configured to be scanned by the RFIDscanner 278. These components include an NFC reader 284, a fuelcontroller 286, a display 288, a secure payment module 290, a paymentcontroller 292, a secure card reader 294, a communication link 296,pulsers 298, and a fuel pump 300. The pulsers 298 and the fuel pump 300are in a pump compartment of the dispenser 276, and the NFC reader 284,fuel controller 286, display 288, secure payment module 290, acontroller 292, secure card reader 294, and communication link 296 arein an electronics compartment of the dispenser 276. The RFID scanner 278is thus configured to scan RFID tags in each of the electronics and pumpcompartments. In other embodiments, the fuel dispenser 276 can have afirst RFID scanner in the electronics compartment to scan the componentstherein that have an RFID tag attached thereto and can have a secondRFID scanner in the pump compartment to scan the components therein thathave an RFID tag attached thereto.

One or more aspects or features of the subject matter described hereincan be realized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry,specially designed application specific integrated circuits (ASICs),field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) computer hardware, firmware,software, and/or combinations thereof. These various aspects or featurescan include implementation in one or more computer programs that areexecutable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including atleast one programmable processor, which can be special or generalpurpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmitdata and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device,and at least one output device. The programmable system or computingsystem may include clients and servers. A client and server aregenerally remote from each other and typically interact through acommunication network. The relationship of client and server arises byvirtue of computer programs running on the respective computers andhaving a client-server relationship to each other.

These computer programs, which can also be referred to as programs,software, software applications, applications, components, or code,include machine instructions for a programmable processor, and can beimplemented in a high-level procedural language, an object-orientedprogramming language, a functional programming language, a logicalprogramming language, and/or in assembly/machine language. As usedherein, the term “machine-readable medium” refers to any computerprogram product, apparatus and/or device, such as for example magneticdiscs, optical disks, memory, and Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs),used to provide machine instructions and/or data to a programmableprocessor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machineinstructions as a machine-readable signal. The term “machine-readablesignal” refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and/ordata to a programmable processor. The machine-readable medium can storesuch machine instructions non-transitorily, such as for example as woulda non-transient solid-state memory or a magnetic hard drive or anyequivalent storage medium. The machine-readable medium can alternativelyor additionally store such machine instructions in a transient manner,such as for example as would a processor cache or other random accessmemory associated with one or more physical processor cores.

To provide for interaction with a user, one or more aspects or featuresof the subject matter described herein can be implemented on a computerhaving a display device, such as for example a cathode ray tube (CRT) ora liquid crystal display (LCD) or a light emitting diode (LED) monitorfor displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointingdevice, such as for example a mouse or a trackball, by which the usermay provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used toprovide for interaction with a user as well. For example, feedbackprovided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as forexample visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; andinput from the user may be received in any form, including, but notlimited to, acoustic, speech, or tactile input. Other possible inputdevices include, but are not limited to, touch screens or othertouch-sensitive devices such as single or multi-point resistive orcapacitive trackpads, voice recognition hardware and software, opticalscanners, optical pointers, digital image capture devices and associatedinterpretation software, and the like.

One skilled in the art will appreciate further features and advantagesof the invention based on the above-described embodiments. Accordingly,the invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shownand described, except as indicated by the appended claims. Allpublications and references cited herein are expressly incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fuel dispenser, comprising: a first compartmenthaving therein a pump for dispensing an amount of fuel in a fuelingsession for a customer; and a second compartment having thereinelectronics for facilitating payment for the fuel and for facilitatingthe dispensing of the fuel, the electronics including a controllerconfigured to control the pump to regulate the dispensing of the fuel, acommunication link, a payment system configured to receive customerpayment information from a mobile phone to be authorized by a networkcloud for payment of fuel, and a cloud communication module configuredto facilitate wireless electronic communication directly between thefuel dispenser and the network cloud without communicating with anintermediary controller at a fueling site at which the fuel dispenser islocated; wherein the cloud communication module is configured totransmit data indicative of the received customer payment informationdirectly to the network cloud without communicating with theintermediary controller and is configured to directly transmit metricdata to the network cloud without communicating with the intermediarycontroller, the metric data including at least one of data received bythe cloud communication module from the payment system via thecommunication link and data received by the cloud communication modulefrom the controller via the communication link.
 2. The fuel dispenser ofclaim 1, wherein the metric data includes fuel usage data from thecontroller that is indicative of the amount of fuel that has beendispensed from the fuel dispenser, and payment data from the paymentsystem that is indicative of a total amount of payment for fuel that hasbeen dispensed from the fuel dispenser.
 3. The fuel dispenser of claim1, wherein the metric data includes status data from the controller thatis indicative of a status of the fuel dispenser.
 4. The fuel dispenserof claim 1, wherein the metric data includes status data from thecontroller that is indicative of a status of the fuel dispenser, fuelusage data from the controller that is indicative of the amount of fuelthat has been dispensed from the fuel dispenser, and payment data fromthe payment system that is indicative of a total amount of payment forfuel that has been dispensed from the fuel dispenser.
 5. The fueldispenser of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provideinstructions to the pump to regulate the dispensing of the fuel, theinstructions being based on a control signal received from the networkcloud in response to the network cloud having authorized the customerpayment information.
 6. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein thepayment system includes a mobile payment terminal that is configured toreceive the customer payment information from the mobile phone.
 7. Thefuel dispenser of claim 6, wherein the payment system includes a cardreader attached to the fuel dispenser that is configured to receivesecond customer payment information to be authorized by the networkcloud for payment of fuel; and the cloud communication module isconfigured to transmit data indicative of the received second customerpayment information directly to the network cloud without communicatingwith the intermediary controller.
 8. The fuel dispenser of claim 1,further comprising a display screen configured to display media thereon,the media being displayed having been received by the cloudcommunication module from the network cloud.
 9. The fuel dispenser ofclaim 1, wherein the communication link includes first and secondcommunication links each configured to facilitate electroniccommunication between the cloud communication module and the paymentsystem and between the cloud communication module and the controller.10. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the communication link iswired.
 11. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cloudcommunication module is configured to, in response to the transmissionof the data indicative of the received customer payment informationdirectly to the network cloud, receive a control signal indicative ofthe customer payment information received by the payment system havingbeen authorized by the network cloud as payment for the fuel.